RE: Cymbalta

[Guest guest]

Jen,

I haven't taken Cymbalta for vestibulitis, but the neurosurgeon prescribed it for continuous pain that I have in the neck and arms from a neck surgery. For me it seemed to help for about the first 2 or 3 weeks and after that it doesn't seem to be doing anything. The thing I have noticed though is that my blood pressure seems to go sky high whenever I am taking it. That is a rare side effect of it and you might want to watch it to see if it does the same to you.

CJ

Cymbalta

Hi, I was just curious to know if anyone has taken cymbalta for vestibulitis and how it has worked. I haven't been on it a week yet but so far I haven't had any success. If anyone has any info that would be great. Thanks. Jen

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[Guest guest]

I've been taking it for two months and have not seen improvement, at 20

mg. I've experience no side effects from it otherwise. Has

helped with the depression part pretty well at a low dose. One

doctor said to increase to 60 mg, but my prescribing doctor has not done

so.

At 02:11 PM 1/3/2006, you wrote:

Hi,

I was just curious to know if anyone has taken cymbalta for

vestibulitis and how it has worked. I haven't been on it a week yet

but so far I haven't had any success. If anyone has any info that

would be great. Thanks.

Jen

**IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST,

THANKS**

Our HOME page is

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders

to search our archives, files, articles, etc.

***

[Guest guest]

I took it for four months. 20 mg. is

a very low dose. 60 mg seems to be the standard dose of Cymbalta for

nerve pain. I take 30 in the morning and 30 in the evening. I have

been told that it is exactly the same type of medication as Effexor. I definitely

have improved about 75%, but I think the most I improved was when I added

ketoconazole to the routine. I was markedly better after two days.

I don’t have a lot of time now, but

when I get some I’ll write everything I did to get better (up to this

point, which is about 75%-80%).

Best Wishes,

Anne in TX

I've been taking it for two months and have not seen

improvement, at 20 mg. I've experience no side effects from it

otherwise. Has helped with the depression part pretty well at a low

dose. One doctor said to increase to 60 mg, but my prescribing doctor has

not done so.

At 02:11 PM 1/3/2006, you wrote:

Hi,

I was just curious to know if anyone has taken cymbalta for

vestibulitis

and how it has worked. I haven't been on it a week yet

but so far I

haven't had any success. If anyone has any info that

would be

great. Thanks.

Jen

[Guest guest]

I would appreciate knowing your history, thank you very much. Are

you still on it?

At 07:31 PM 1/4/2006, you wrote:

I

took it for four months. 20 mg. is a very low dose. 60 mg

seems to be the standard dose of Cymbalta for nerve pain. I take 30

in the morning and 30 in the evening. I have been told that it is

exactly the same type of medication as Effexor. I definitely have

improved about 75%, but I think the most I improved was when I added

ketoconazole to the routine. I was markedly better after two

days.

I don’t have a lot of time now, but when I get some I’ll write everything

I did to get better (up to this point, which is about 75%-80%).

Best Wishes,

Anne in TX

I've been taking it for two

months and have not seen improvement, at 20 mg. I've experience no

side effects from it otherwise. Has helped with the depression part

pretty well at a low dose. One doctor said to increase to 60 mg,

but my prescribing doctor has not done so.

At 02:11 PM 1/3/2006, you wrote:

Hi,

I was just

curious to know if anyone has taken cymbalta for

vestibulitis and how it has

worked. I haven't been on it a week yet

but so far I haven't had any

success. If anyone has any info that

would be great.

Thanks.

Jen

**IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST,

THANKS**

Our HOME page is

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders

to search our archives, files, articles, etc.

***

[Guest guest]

Short story:

I have dyesthesic vulvodynia, or 24/7

burning and hyperesthesia (excessive sensitivity). Started with yeast in

August of 04. Had two weeks of burning for 3 cycles, and then burning

never left at all. Shockingly painful and terrifying.

After I exhausted all conventional avenues

available to me, including two top vulval specialists, I went on Goldstein’s routine, but

instead of using Neurontin, I used Lyrica.

Basically, here it is:

Cymbalta 30 mg/2x day

celebrex 100 mg/2x day

Effexor 75 mg 1x/day (stupid, because it

is the same drug as cymbalta, but I didn’t know that then – pick one)

Lyrica 50 mg. /4x day

Ketoconazole (not sure of the dosage) 1x

day (anti-fungal)

Got this regimen from two sources: Goldstein’s article, which

is here:

http://www.ourgyn.com/article_retrieve_printer.php?articleid=63

I also went to PT and did biofeedback for

one month. It is impossible for me to do it for 40 minutes a day, I am

not very good at sticking to boring events! But I’m trying!

Also, I read in an article that went

through here a while ago in a dermatological journal about vuvlvodynia, that

cyclical vaginitis is a common reason for vulvodynia, and often results in

yeast burrowed under the skin of the vulva. It is not cultured reliably,

so you can’t rely on a culture to tell you. Therefore, I gave the

Ketoconazole (like diflucan, but every day, which was easier for me to remember)

a try.

I have done it all for three months so far

and the burning is gone. It was almost completely gone two days after I

added the K in. I remain on all the other meds to retrain my nerves,

which I assume were fired up after 1 year of yeast under vulvar skin. (That

is my working theory as to why so many of us get this after a yeast infection.)

I do believe OTC yeast meds have small splintery pieces that cut the vulval

skin up, allowing a pathway for burrowing in. Two of my biopsies showed

chronic inflammation, but no one could help me identify where it was coming

from. That’s my theory, any way.

I still have some hypersensitivity, sex

does not feel smooth, but still jagged and rough, and pubic hair feels like

little knives, so I’m not done yet. Still can’t wear jeans

and stuff, but it’s definitely manageable now. I do not think about

suicide 100 times a day anymore!

So I’m hanging in there.

HTH someone. My gyn (an awesome

woman) will give me anything I ask for, and she has been helping me manage

this.

Warmly,

Anne in TX

I would appreciate knowing your history, thank you

very much. Are you still on it?

At 07:31 PM 1/4/2006, you wrote:

I took

it for four months. 20 mg. is a very low dose. 60 mg seems to be

the standard dose of Cymbalta for nerve pain. I take 30 in the morning

and 30 in the evening. I have been told that it is exactly the same type

of medication as Effexor. I definitely have improved about 75%, but I

think the most I improved was when I added ketoconazole to the routine. I

was markedly better after two days.

I don’t have a lot of time now, but when I get some I’ll write

everything I did to get better (up to this point, which is about 75%-80%).

Best Wishes,

Anne in TX

I've been taking it for two months and have not seen improvement, at 20

mg. I've experience no side effects from it otherwise. Has helped

with the depression part pretty well at a low dose. One doctor said to

increase to 60 mg, but my prescribing doctor has not done so.

At 02:11 PM 1/3/2006, you wrote:

Hi,

I was just curious to know if anyone has taken cymbalta for

vestibulitis

and how it has worked. I haven't been on it a week yet

but so far I

haven't had any success. If anyone has any info that

would be

great. Thanks.

Jen

[Guest guest]

Anne, try drinking Danactive Probiotic Drink daily. See if you begin to notice a difference by the end of the 4 to 6 weeks. It really helped me a lot. I stopped antifungals even before the Danactive, because they were only causing my skin to become drug burned, on top of the vulvodynia. As long as I used antifugals, my skin was raw and so tender I had to wear dresses without underwear.

My doc and I have rooted out a number of "causes" which contributed to my dysathetic vv (which is now,for the past year, on a 1-2 pain level instead of 8 ish daily). The culmination of all these things going wrong each contribtuted to my problem:

1.) A Malfunctioning thyroid - hypothyroidism - was discoverd about two months after vv struck. Medication was prescribed and some improvement gained in my vv

2.) Chemical sensitivities developed (almost always a result of failing thyroid). The shampoo I was using on my head, when tested on my arm, caused a caustic "burn hole" in my arm. I had similiar reactions to a number of my other personal products, as well as my meds which contained yellow dye. When I discovered that thyroid conditions can cause chemical sensitivities, I went to an environmental allergist and found out what I was allergic to. I practice avoidance of all these products (I shop with a list of chemical agents I must avoid iin my purse) and improvement was gained in my vv.

3.) I stopped HRT cold turkey on the advice of my ex GYN.. Within two months I had severe vulvo vaginal atrophy and was prescribed by that same GYN- ESTRACE to rectify the atrophy. What she should have known and didn't was that such a severe lack of estrogen in the vulvo vaginal area changes the PH of that tissue and introducing copious amounts of estrogen nightly caused a MASSIVE yeast infection which travelled halfway to my knees on my inner thighs. The doc should have tested my vaginal pH first because of my hormone defiecncy and addressed my problem in a different way, but she didnt' and I became even more severely atrophied because I had to stop the Estrace and now had recurring yeast. I was given prescription creams and was allergic to all but one, which worked effectively the first 4 times then I became allergic to that. So I stopped using yeast meds altogether and started investigating/reading on how to build immune systems against such things as yeast. It was then that I began taking Danactive. I have only had one yeast infection since and I caught it from my husband, who was on mega dose antibiotics for inner ear infections.

4.) Daily use of Always pads for about 2 years for incontinence. I now avoid Always like the plague (at my docs suggestion) and change my underwear several times a day.

5.) Severe low back problems, nerve entrapment and body mechanics altered by accommodating the chronic pain.

6.) A broken left foot and associated damaged calf tendon, which also caused altered body mechanics

7.) Pelvic fllor problems resulting from the poor body mechanics of 5 and 6.

My 'fixes' for these problems are medication for thyroid, daily use of oral antihistamines (Claritin) and strict avoidance of allergens and changing body soap to Pure Olive Oil soap; resumption of HRT - working for many months to get the right dosage for "me" , for my body's needs; 3x week topical use of Testosterone, which was severely depleted in my body; drinking Danactive for my immune system, as well as taking Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Zinc, B6, and Selenium; sleeping without underpants every night; physical therapy for my back, my leg and foot and for my pelvic floor issues.

My experience has been that any use, much less prolonged use, of Antifungals has been a bad thing for my body. It took me a long time to recognize that if I did have a yeast it should have cleared up by daily,. weekly, monthly use of antifungals. So I finally began exploring what else could be wrong and lo and behold I'm so much better. It didn't happen overnight - took about a year, but I'm so grateful. My daily regimen right now is only my thyroid meds, antihistamtines vitamins, Danactive and my hormone patch. 3 times a week I use the testosterone. I have, as I said above, pain on a level of 1-2 (on a scale of 10, with 10 being the worst) and many days no pain at all. I think I owe my recovery so far to my new GYN's willingness to ferret out my hormone problems/deficiencies and also her willingness to keep adjusting and changing dosages til we got was was right for me. I also owe it to giving up on the conviction I had constant yeast and searching out the other possibilities of allergies, immune stuff (thyroid) and body mechanics. One other thing I owe it to is regular sexual activity - several times a week, which I believe keeps blood flow to the area and keeps this part of the body supplied with the good things that proper blood flow supplies.

Hope this helps some

Dusty

..

-----Original Message-----From: VulvarDisorders [mailto:VulvarDisorders ] On Behalf Of AnneSent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:14 PMTo: VulvarDisorders Subject: RE: Cymbalta

Short story:

I have dyesthesic vulvodynia, or 24/7 burning and hyperesthesia (excessive sensitivity). Started with yeast in August of 04. Had two weeks of burning for 3 cycles, and then burning never left at all. Shockingly painful and terrifying.

After I exhausted all conventional avenues available to me, including two top vulval specialists, I went on Goldstein’s routine, but instead of using Neurontin, I used Lyrica.

Basically, here it is:

Cymbalta 30 mg/2x daycelebrex 100 mg/2x day

Effexor 75 mg 1x/day (stupid, because it is the same drug as cymbalta, but I didn’t know that then – pick one)

Lyrica 50 mg. /4x day

Ketoconazole (not sure of the dosage) 1x day (anti-fungal)

Got this regimen from two sources: Goldstein’s article, which is here:

http://www.ourgyn.com/article_retrieve_printer.php?articleid=63

I also went to PT and did biofeedback for one month. It is impossible for me to do it for 40 minutes a day, I am not very good at sticking to boring events! But I’m trying!

Also, I read in an article that went through here a while ago in a dermatological journal about vuvlvodynia, that cyclical vaginitis is a common reason for vulvodynia, and often results in yeast burrowed under the skin of the vulva. It is not cultured reliably, so you can’t rely on a culture to tell you. Therefore, I gave the Ketoconazole (like diflucan, but every day, which was easier for me to remember) a try.

I have done it all for three months so far and the burning is gone. It was almost completely gone two days after I added the K in. I remain on all the other meds to retrain my nerves, which I assume were fired up after 1 year of yeast under vulvar skin. (That is my working theory as to why so many of us get this after a yeast infection.) I do believe OTC yeast meds have small splintery pieces that cut the vulval skin up, allowing a pathway for burrowing in. Two of my biopsies showed chronic inflammation, but no one could help me identify where it was coming from. That’s my theory, any way.

I still have some hypersensitivity, sex does not feel smooth, but still jagged and rough, and pubic hair feels like little knives, so I’m not done yet. Still can’t wear jeans and stuff, but it’s definitely manageable now. I do not think about suicide 100 times a day anymore!

So I’m hanging in there.

HTH someone. My gyn (an awesome woman) will give me anything I ask for, and she has been helping me manage this.

Warmly,

Anne in TX

I would appreciate knowing your history, thank you very much. Are you still on it? At 07:31 PM 1/4/2006, you wrote:

I took it for four months. 20 mg. is a very low dose. 60 mg seems to be the standard dose of Cymbalta for nerve pain. I take 30 in the morning and 30 in the evening. I have been told that it is exactly the same type of medication as Effexor. I definitely have improved about 75%, but I think the most I improved was when I added ketoconazole to the routine. I was markedly better after two days. I don’t have a lot of time now, but when I get some I’ll write everything I did to get better (up to this point, which is about 75%-80%). Best Wishes, Anne in TX I've been taking it for two months and have not seen improvement, at 20 mg. I've experience no side effects from it otherwise. Has helped with the depression part pretty well at a low dose. One doctor said to increase to 60 mg, but my prescribing doctor has not done so. At 02:11 PM 1/3/2006, you wrote:Hi, I was just curious to know if anyone has taken cymbalta for vestibulitis and how it has worked. I haven't been on it a week yet but so far I haven't had any success. If anyone has any info that would be great. Thanks. Jen

[Guest guest]

I wish, still as constipated as ever. I'm on 90 mg too. Sue

Cymbalta

Has anyone ever had the side effect of diahreha with Cymbalta? hugs, ML

[Guest guest]

Massage your belly clock wise starting in the lower right and move up,

across and down to the left. Do this for about 10 minutes in the

morning and night while relaxed laying down. Try Colase soft gels,

triphala (herb) and use probiotics.

At 08:11 AM 2/13/2006, you wrote:

Try eating prunes,

Anne

--On Sunday, February 12, 2006 4:16 PM -0600 Ballard

wrote:

>

> I wish, still as constipated as ever. I'm on 90 mg too.

Sue

>

>

> Cymbalta

>

>

>

> Has anyone ever had the side effect of diahreha with Cymbalta?

hugs, ML

>

>

>

> **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST,

THANKS**

>

> Our HOME page is

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders

> to search our archives, files, articles, etc.

>

> ***

[Guest guest]

what is colase and where do you get it?

Cymbalta>>>> Has anyone ever had the side effect of diahreha with Cymbalta? hugs, ML>>>> **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST, THANKS**>> Our HOME page is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders> to search our archives, files, articles, etc.>> ***

[Guest guest]

I am going to Pelvic floor PT for the first time tomorrow, what can I

expect? I still have no idea what they do for PT for down there. Also, I am

two days in on the lidocaine cotton ball treatment, my doctor prescribed a

two percent jelly, a small tube that is supposed to last a month, any ways,

How long does it take to know if this is going to help??? experiences?? and

do you guys just put the jelly on with the cotton ball, or leave the cotton

ball down there??, Thanks, Anne in Michigan

--On Monday, February 13, 2006 8:22 AM -0500 Frick

wrote:

> Massage your belly clock wise starting in the lower right and move up,

> across and down to the left. Do this for about 10 minutes in the morning

> and night while relaxed laying down. Try Colase soft gels, triphala

> (herb) and use probiotics.

>

> At 08:11 AM 2/13/2006, you wrote:

>

> Try eating prunes, Anne

>

> --On Sunday, February 12, 2006 4:16 PM -0600 Ballard

> wrote:

>

> >

> > I wish, still as constipated as ever. I'm on 90 mg too. Sue

> >

> >

> > Cymbalta

> >

> >

> >

> > Has anyone ever had the side effect of diahreha with Cymbalta? hugs, ML

> >

> >

> >

> > **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST, THANKS**

> >

> > Our HOME page is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders

> > to search our archives, files, articles, etc.

> >

> > ***